Washington Commanders rookie running back Brian Robinson Jr. had a trying season in 2022. Robinson appeared to have won the starting running back job from Antonio Gibson in Week 1 of the preseason before tragically being shot in late August during an attempted robbery.
Amazingly, Robinson missed the minimum of four games and returned for Washington’s Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans. From that point forward, Robinson’s workload gradually increased, and by Week 7, he carried the football 20 times in a win over the Green Bay Packers.
Robinson was outstanding as a rookie, finishing the season with 797 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Imagine if he were fully healthy the entire season. Or, imagine if the Commanders and former offensive coordinator Scott Turner had stuck with the running game more, such as in Washington’s Week 14 loss to the Giants, where he averaged almost eight yards per attempt, but Turner inexplicably only gave him the ball 12 times.
That likely cost the Commanders a win and likely a playoff spot.
The Commanders fired Turner after the season after players had lost confidence in him. Washington hired two-time Super Bowl champion Eric Bieniemy as his replacement, exciting players and fans alike.
Perhaps no player is more excited than Robinson.
Bieniemy is a former standout NFL running back. After his playing career, he turned to coaching where he’s been one of the NFL’s top offensive coordinators for the past five years.
Robinson recently spoke to Commanders’ official website about the advantages of playing for Bieniemy.
“Him being a former running back easily helps him relate to the things he needs me to do,” Robinson said. “It’s easier for me to listen to him based off playing the same position. So it’s easier for me to take advice and easier for him to give me advice because we kind of have experience in the same position, so I think that’s a little bit more advantage for the running backs on the team now since our OC is a former running back.”
Robinson didn’t throw Turner under the bus; he was only sharing the excitement that playing for Bieniemy can be advantageous for him with Bieniemy having played the position.
“Maybe he can scheme and find ways to give the running backs more opportunity based off of what he see as a former running back,” Robinson said.
Some say we have yet to see a true Eric Bieniemy offense. This is why Bieniemy wanted a chance away from Kansas City, to prove he could design his own offense and call plays.
The Commanders are excited to have Bieniemy. And it’s not just the running backs. The quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends all believe Bieniemy can take the offense to another level in 2023.
Playing for EB is cool.
Playing for EB as an RB is even cooler.
🎥 https://t.co/Ab78aMJwec | @BrianR_4 pic.twitter.com/bEJyf7jepS
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) May 9, 2023
